Railroad-lamp elevator



(No Model.)

J. H. MILLER. RAILROAD LAMP ELEVATOR.

No. 586,314. Patented July 13,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. MILLER, OF XVEILERSVILLE, OHIO.

RAILROAD-LAM P ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,314, dated July 13, 1897.

Application filed October 30, 1896.

To all whom, it 7mm concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVeilersville, in the county of \Vayne and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Railroad-Lamp Elevator, of which the following is a specification.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the said annexed drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved elevator, illustrating the position of the apparatus during the act of hoisting the lamp up to its seat. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the apparatus during the act of seating the lamp upon its seat, and Fig. 3 represents a similar View illustrating the position of the apparatus when the lamp is seated.

The semaphore-pole P, the top of which is adapted to form a seat for the signal-lamp, has pivoted, by means of pivots g, near the said top the arms to, having a rearwardly-projecting portion a, to which is attached a spring s,which, in conjunction with the stops a, cause the arms to project substantially horizontally from the pole.

The ends of the outwardly-projecting portions of the arms a are each provided with a pulley p, suitably mounted thereon, and with a downwardly-projecting curved lug j. A standard 0, provided with bifurcations c, is suitably fastened upon the pole and is provided at the top with two pulleys p, each so disposed as to be substantially directly behind one of the pulleys p. A dog or catch 6, formed with the downwardly-projecting arm 6, is suitably pivoted near the ends of the bifurcations c and is provided with suitable stops, which prevent it from dropping below a substantially horizontal position, and projects over the middle of the lamp-seat. A cross-bar m connects transversely the two arms a.

Suitable cords 4' pass over the pulleys p and the opposite pulleys p, the ends depending from the ends of arms a, to which ends is attached the signal-lamp by means of the suspenders 'i and the spreader-barfiwhich form a part of the lamp. Pins 1" are placed transverselyone in each of the cords and at equal distances from the spreader-bar f. The suspenders are of such a length that the lamp when suspended is in a position in which a line drawn through the center of its lenses is horizontal. The spreader-bar is made of sufficient length so that it will engage, when drawn up, the two arms a.

In operating the device the lamp is attached to the cords and drawn up to the top of the pole, where the pins r engage the ends of the arms a, which, on further drawing of the cords, rotate upon their pivots, carrying with them the lamp, until the lamp is directly over the seat, in which position the catch 6 catches the cross-bar m, and thereby locks the arms, whereupon the cords are released and the spreader-bar drops upon the curved arm e, slides off and into the lugs j, and the lamp is thus placed upon its seat. The parts are so adjusted that the spreader-bar and the lamp reach their respective seats simultaneously.

To unseat and lower the lamp, the cords are pulled until the spreader-bar lifts the dog 6 by engaging the arm 6. The cross-bar and arms are thus released, and the sprin gs s throw the said arms forward and thereby carry the lamp outwardly from the pole, whence it may be lowered to the ground.

The arms a are formed with a curvature, so that when the lamp is seated they shall not cross the lenses.

By these means I obtain a simple and effectual lamp-elevating apparatus which en ables the light to be seen at all times during the operation of hoisting, seating, unseating, and lowering.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means covered by any one of the following claims be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and dis- 1 tinctly claim as my invention 1. In a signaling device, the combination of a lamp, a lamp-supporting base, means for elevating said lamp to and seating it upon said base, such elevating and seating means adapted to maintain horizontal alinement of said lamp, substantially as set forth.

2. In a signaling device, the combination of a lamp, a lamp-supporting base, means for elevating said lamp to and seating it upon said base, means adapted to secure said lamp upon said base, such elevating and seating means adapted to maintain horizontal alinement of said lamp, substantially as set forth. 7 3. In a signaling device, the combination of a lamp, a lamp-supporting base, means for elevating said lamp to and seating it upon said base, means adaptedto secure said seatin g means whereby said lamp is also secured, such elevating and seating means adapted to maintain horizontal alinement of said lamp, substantially as set forth.

at. In a signaling device, the combination of a lamp, a lamp-supporting base, lamp elevating and seating means, means adapted to secure said seating means whereby said lamp is also secured, said elevating and seating means adapted to maintain horizontal alinement of said lamp, and means adapted to unseat said lamp, said unseating means also adapted to maintain horizontal alinement of said lamp, substantially as set forth.

5. In a signaling device, the combination of a lamp, a lamp-supporting base, lamp elevating and seating means, means adapted to lock said seating means whereby said lamp is secured, said elevating and seating means adapted to maintain horizontal alinement of said lamp, said elevating means adapted to unlock and said seating means adapted to unseat said lamp and also adapted to maintain horizontal alinement of said lamp, substantially as set forth.

6. In a signaling device, the combination of a lamp, a lamp-supporting base, lamp elevating and seating means, said seating means adapted to secure said lamp, means adapted to lock said seating means, means adapted to unlock said seating means, means adapted to unseat and lower said lamp, said elevating, seating, unseatin g and lowering means adapted to maintain horizontal alinement of said lamp, substantially as set forth.

7. In a signaling device, the combination of a lamp, a lamp-supportin g base, lamp elevatin g and seating means, said seating means adapted to secure said lamp, means adapted to lock said seating means, said elevating means adapted to unlock said seating means, and means adapted to unseat and lower said lamp, said elevating, seating, unseating and lowering means adapted to maintain horizontal alinement of said lamp, substantially as set forth.

8. In a signaling device, the combination of a lamp, a lamp-supporting base, means for elevating said lamp to and seating it upon said base, means for locking said lamp upon said base, said elevating means adapted to unlock said lamp, said elevating and seating means adapted to maintain horizontal alinement of said lamp during their operation, substantially as set forth.

9. In a signaling device, a lamp-elevator consisting of the combination of a lamp-supporting base, lamp-elevatin g means attached to said base, and lam p-seating means adapted to cooperate with said elevating means and guide said lamp to said base, substantially as set forth.

10. In a signaling device, a lamp-elevator consisting of the combination of a lamp-supporting base, lamp-elevating means attached to said base whereby said lamp may be lifted to said base, lamp-seating means adapted to receive and guide said lamp to said base, substantially as set forth.

11. In a signaling device, a lamp-elevator consisting of the combination of a lamp-supporting base, lamp-elevating means attached to said base and adapted to operate vertically Without said base, and lamp-seating means adapted to transfer said lamp from without to said base, substantially as set forth.

12. In a signaling device, a lamp-elevator consisting of the combination of a lamp-supporting base, lamp-elevating means attached to said base and adapted to operate vertically with out said base, lamp-seatin g means adapted to secure and transfer said lamp from without to said base, and means adapted to lock said seating means, whereby said lamp is secured upon said base, substantially as set forth.

13. In a signaling device, a lamp-elevator consisting of the combination of a pole adapted to form a lamp-supporting base, elevating means adapted to hoist a lamp to the top, of said pole, pivoted arms on the top of said pole adapted to swing said lamp into place thereon, substantially as set forth.

14. In a signaling device, a lamp-elevator consisting of the combination of a pole adapted to form a lamp-supporting base, elevating means adapted to hoist a lamp to the top of said pole, pivoted arms at the top of said pole adapted to swing said lamp into place thereon and means adapted to lock said arms, whereby the lampis also secured, substantially as set forth.

15. In a signaling device, a lamp-elevator consisting of the combination of a pole adapted to form a lamp-supporting base, elevating means adapted to hoist a lamp to the top of said pole, pivoted arms at the top of said pole adapted to swing the lamp in position thereon, means adapted to lock said arms and means adapted to unlock said arms and lower said lamp from said pole, substantially as set forth.

16. In a signaling device, a lamp-elevator consisting of the combination of a pole adapted to form a lamp-supporting base, elevating means adapted to hoist a lamp to the top of said pole, pivoted arms at the top of said pole adapted to swing the lamp into position, and means adapted to lock said arms when the lamp is in position, said elevating means adapted to unlock said arms and lower said lamp, substantially as set forth.

17. In a signal-lamp elevator, the combination of a lamp-seat, pivoted arms, cords or chains adapted to hoist a lamp to said seat, said arms adapted to receive and guide said lamp, whereby it may be placed on said seat, substantially as set forth.

18. In a signal-lamp elevator, the combination of a lamp-seat, pivoted arms, a cord or chain adapted to hoist a lamp to said seat, said arms adapted to receive said lamp and guide it, whereby it may be placed on said seat, and means adapted to lock said arms when the lamp is in position, substantially as set forth.

19. In a signal-lamp elevator, the combination of a lamp-seat, transversely'joined pivoted arms, a cord or chain adapted to hoist a lamp to said seat, said arms provided with means adapted to secure said lamp, said cord or chain adapted to engage said arms whereby it is swung into position, and means adapted to lock said arms when the lamp is in position, substantially as set forth.

20. In a signal-lamp elevator, the combination of a lamp-seat, transversely-joined and pivoted arms, a cord or chain adapted to hoist a lamp, said arms provided with projecting lugs adapted to receive and carry said lamp, said cord or chain adapted, during the operation of hoisting, to engage said arms whereby they swing said lamp into place, and means adapted to lock said arms when said lamp is in place, substantially as set forth.

21. In a signal-lamp elevator, the combination with means adapted to swing the lamp into place, said means consisting of arms pivoted to the lamp-seat and transversely joined by a cross-bar, said arms adapted to be engaged during the act of elevating and adapted to guide said lamp to said seat, of means adapted to secure said cross-bar when the lamp is upon its seat, substantially as set forth.

22. In a signal-lamp elevator, means for swinging the lamp into and out of its seat consisting of the combination of arms pivoted to said seat, said arms adapted to be engaged during the act of elevating and adapted to guide said lamp to said seat, means adapted to lock said arms when the lamp is upon the seat, and means adapted to unlock said arms whereby they may remove said lamp from its seat, substantially as set forth.

23. In a signal-lamp elevator, means for swinging the lamp into and out of its seat, consisting of the combination of arms pivoted to said seat, said arms adapted to be engaged during the act of elevating and adapted to guide said lamp to said seat, means adapted to lock said arms when the lamp is upon the seat, means adapted to unlock said arms, and means adapted to actuate said arms to remove the lamp from its seat when the said arms are unlocked, substantially as set forth. 24.,In a signal-lamp elevator, means for swinging the lamp into and out of its seat, consisting of the combination of arms pivoted to said seat, said arms provided with a transverse cross-bar adapted to be engaged during the act of elevating, and adapted to guide said lamp to its seat, means adapted to secure said cross-bar when the lamp is upon its seat, whereby said arms are locked, the said lugs adapted, in said position of the lamp, to confine said lamp, means adapted to disengage said locking means, and means adapted to actuate said arms to remove the lamp from its seat when said locking means are disengaged, substantially as set forth.

25. In a signal-lamp elevator, the combination of a lamp-seat, arms pivoted to said seat, a spring adapted to actuate said arms to project from said seat, a cord or chain, passing over pulleys journaled upon said arms and pulleys journaled upon said seat and adapted to hoist the lamp, said cord or chain adapted to engage the said arms during the act of elevating, whereby said arms are swung over and said lamp guided to its seat, a transverse cross-bar connecting said arms, a catch adapted to lock said bar when the lamp is over its seat, said catch adapted to be engaged by said lamp when raised ofi its seat whereby it is released and said spring is permitted to actuate said arms to remove the lamp from over the base, and whereby it may be lowered, substantially as set forth.

26. In a signal-lamp elevator, the combination of a lamp-seat, arms pivoted to said seat, a spring attached to said arms whereby they are caused to project from said seat, a cord or chain passing over pulleys journaled upon said arms and over pulleys journaled upon said seat and adapted to hoist a lamp, said cord or chain adapted to engage said arms during the act of elevating,whereby said arms are caused to swing over and carry said lamp to its seat, against the action of said spring, a catch adapted to engage and secure said arms when the lamp is over its seat, means adapted to release said catch whereby said spring is permitted to actuate said arms to throw them out of the sphere of said catch, whereby the lamp may be removed and lowered from its seat, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand.

JOHN H. MILLER.

\Vitnesses:

R. B. HOLLAND, HIRAM B. SWARTZ. 

